Broadview Immigration Activists Seek DOJ Misconduct Probe

By Lauraann Wood

Immigration activists whose claims of prosecutorial misconduct led Chicago's top federal prosecutor to drop a criminal conspiracy case against them are now asking their judge to appoint special counsel and conduct an evidentiary sanctions hearing to determine the full extent of the misconduct and "ensuing cover-up."

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ad Seller Can't Shake Wiretap Suit Over Temu Data Transfers

By Allison Grande

An Illinois federal judge has refused to toss a putative class action accusing a global advertising technology company of breaking federal wiretap law by transmitting Americans' sensitive information to Chinese e-commerce giant Temu, finding it plausibly alleged the conduct violated a U.S. Department of Justice regulation restricting bulk data transfers to foreign adversaries.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ To Join Race Bias Suit Over Ill. City's Reparations

By Celeste Bott

The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to join a lawsuit challenging a Chicago suburb's reparations housing program for Black residents, arguing the race-based benefits violate the Constitution's equal protection clause and the Fair Housing Act and claiming the city has refused to cooperate with an ongoing federal probe into the program.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ's Pot Shift Leaves Key Questions For Cannabis Industry

By Sam Reisman

The Trump administration's recent moves to relax federal restrictions on marijuana through the administrative process will have unclear ramifications for all industry players unless Congress steps in to rewrite cannabis law, attorneys heard Wednesday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

CoStar, Brokers Accused Of Sharing Data To Fix Rents

By Isaac Monterose

A proposed class of commercial tenants has alleged CoStar Group Inc., Colliers International Group Inc., Colliers International USA LLC, Cushman & Wakefield and others ran a rent-fixing scheme that involved real estate companies using CoStar's platform to share confidential lease transaction information in order to avoid undercutting each other.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Medline, AdaptHealth Sued Over Deadly Hospital Bed Fire

By Aaron Keller

Medline Industries and AdaptHealth have been sued by the estate and daughter of a Connecticut woman who allegedly died after suffering burns over 47% of her body when an electric-powered hospital-style bed caught fire in a Newtown home.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

CME's Trial Win Sticks In Members' $2B Trading Rights Case

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois state court judge has refused to unwind CME Group's trial win over a group of members' $2 billion dispute claiming the commodities exchange violated their contractual trading floor exclusivity rights by opening a data center to accommodate high-speed and algorithmic trading.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Sidley Plans Chicago Office Tower Move

By Isaac Monterose

Sidley Austin LLP is planning to move its Chicago office to the upcoming 45-story, 1 million-square-foot office tower in the city's Fulton Market neighborhood, the firm announced.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

When Do Murals Qualify For IP Protection?

Artist Robert Wyland recently sued FIFA for painting over his 1999 "Ocean Life" mural to make room for a World Cup promotion in Dallas, spotlighting questions over the extent to which copyright law and the Visual Artists Rights Act protect different types of art, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Opinion

Rule Of Law Requires Gov't Engagement With Bar, Not Retreat

A federal agency's absence from national and local bar conferences, most recently illustrated by the U.S. Department of Justice's withdrawal from a New York City Bar Association white collar conference, disserves the bar, the government lawyers themselves and, ultimately, the administration of justice, says Muhammad Faridi at Linklaters.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Full Fed. Circ. To Hear Immigration Judges' Firing Challenge

By Ganesh Setty

The Federal Circuit on Wednesday agreed to conduct en banc review over the firing of two immigration judges, after the Merit Systems Protection Board ruled that they constituted inferior officers who are subject to at-will removal by the president.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

No Discipline For DOJ Atty's 'Lapse Of Judgment' In ICE Case

By Emily Sawicki

A Rhode Island federal prosecutor who knowingly withheld information about a detainee's criminal history at the behest of immigration enforcement, leading to an "unfounded attack" against a federal judge by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the detainee's release, violated his duty of candor but will not face discipline, the district's chief judge determined.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Halts Clayton Director Hearing Over Blue-Slip Dispute

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump directed Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, not to appear for his confirmation hearing Wednesday on his nomination to be director of national intelligence, in part over a blue-slip issue.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Maya Kowalski Sues Ex-Atty Over Fees, Funding Loan

By Carolina Bolado

Maya Kowalski, the subject of the Netflix documentary "Take Care of Maya," filed a malpractice suit against her former attorney on Wednesday, accusing him of charging excessive fees and improperly orchestrating an advance funding loan after winning a $213 million judgment.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Sanctioned IP Atty Tells Fed. Circ. 'Integrity' On The Line

By Elliot Weld

An attorney who was sanctioned in a trade dress infringement case due to what a judge said were his repeated misrepresentations has asked the Federal Circuit to lift the penalties against him and his client, saying his "professional and personal integrity, and my family, depends on it."

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bosch Receives First DOJ Declination Under New Policy

By Sarah Jarvis

German technology company Bosch on Wednesday became the first company to avoid criminal prosecution under a new U.S. Department of Justice enforcement policy after it cooperated with the federal government and agreed to pay $36 million to settle allegations it improperly exported technology products to sanctioned Chinese company Huawei.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »